Newly launched Qabayan Radio 94.3 FM promises to promote cultures of Philippines and Qatar

All communities living in Qatar tend to celebrate and promote their cultures while at the same time enjoying the cosmopolitan nature of the country. Promoting the vernacular language and music through FM radio is a very popular method of highlighting any culture.

As there are different communities in Qatar, many of them have their own FM radios. Qatar has a strong and an active Filipino community and since a long time, people felt the need for an FM radio in the Filipino language.
The recently launched Qabayan Radio 94.3 FM is the new sound of and for the Filipinos in Qatar.
The radio has also partnered with the ongoing Summer Entertainment City (SEC) at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre. At the entertainment city, the radio has been updating Filipinos about different ongoing events at SEC.
Community got a chance to talk to Meech del Carmen, Business Development and Events Executive with Qabayan Radio 94.3 FM, and discuss the prospects of the FM radio in Qatar.
“Qabayan Radio 94.3, with commercial broadcasting license in Qatar under Tagalog Channel Company, WLL, is the country’s only Filipino FM radio. The license was granted on December 04, 2018 to establish the first Tagalog commercial radio station in the country,” Meech said.
“Qabayan is actually spelled as Kabayan, meaning fellow countrymen. Since we are in Qatar, we have replaced ‘K’ with ‘Q’. Qabayan Radio 94.3 was switched on, and started its test broadcast on March 25, 2019. It was a historic milestone for the Filipino community in the country.
“Qabayan Radio 94.3 fills Qatar airwaves with music, and entertainment the Pinoy [Filipino music] way, showcasing various programme formats that surely entertain, not only the Filipino, but also other international communities, and music lovers in Qatar.”
She added: “Team Qabayan is comprised of fun, and dynamic Filipino professionals with equally dynamic Qatari counterparts, who always dream big, and inspire the Filipinos to uplift the lives of their fellows. Qabayan Radio is excited to celebrate the genuine Pinoy music, and entertainment through their daily broadcast operations. They aim to lead the way for ‘qabayans’ in Qatar to embrace their culture, and identity, while maintaining a balance of our multi-cultural diversity.”
“Qabayan Radio 94.3 aims to serve the community by providing an accurate, unbiased, and relevant broadcast, promoting both Filipino and Qatar cultures. Their commitment is to bring the Filipinos closer to home through music, entertainment, sports and other engagement events,” Meech said.
“Working with Qabayan Radio means enjoying on-air, on-ground, and online mileage as Qatar’s only, and premier Filipino media outlet catering to a vast population of radio, and online listeners, and followers, locally, and abroad.
 With over 40 million potential annual website hits, over 250,000 potential social media followers, over 1 million potential social media reach, and over 500,000 potential social media engagement, Qabayan Radio clients, and brand partners alike, are able to optimise full promotional, and brand recall advantage, with the assurance of highest journalistic standards, and quality concept implementation.
Their services, and offerings include: radio advertisement (commercials, jingles, segment/program sponsorship, live mentions (Announcement On Board), time check sponsorship), co-hosted programme segments (block timing), website placements, press releases, news updates, social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) ads engagement & reach, full production and event coverage, as well as live events.
“QaBayan Radio 94.3 is airing at 24/7 services. We have RJs during working days, no RJ on Friday and Saturday. The RJs’ timing are 8am to 9pm. 
“Our website www.qabayanfm.com has a plugin radio so everyone can tune in everywhere and anytime. It is also streaming in all the GCC countries. We play original Filipino music” and International (English) music – English is the second language of the Filipinos.”
The radio representative further said: “We have partnered with the SEC to attract the Filipinos who general love eating out and shopping. We run our shows live from the DECC. We highlight what different events and offers that the entertainment city puts forward every day. At SEC, we have an opportunity to interact live with the visiting Filipinos and share their views with our listeners.”
About their future plans, she said: “We are very excited and looking forward to our grand launch coming this August. There will be lots of events for the first year. We will be inviting celebrities and artists from the Philippines for our Doha listeners.”
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